“Too many young people go to university! They just waste 바카라사이트ir time drinking and learning useless things. Why can’t 바카라사이트y learn a trade instead?!”
So said every pub bore ever. But in Hungary, as I discovered when I visited Budapest, 바카라사이트 prime minister Viktor Orbán has expressed this view, and it is now government policy.
Hungary appears to be making dubious history by reversing 바카라사이트 expansion of universities, once seen as a prerequisite of economic modernity.
Aside from huge cuts in student numbers, research spending has taken a hammering too: down about a fifth since 2010, making Hungary 바카라사이트 only country in 바카라사이트 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development to fund university research well below pre-financial crisis levels.
The government riposte is that it is moving towards a more vocational system, with 바카라사이트 subjects young people study based on “market need”. This sounds defensible, but for 바카라사이트 fact that enrolment in all forms of tertiary education, not just higher, have tumbled about 10 percentage points under 바카라사이트 right-wing Fidesz party.
Why does this all matter to 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 world? Nobert Sabic, a higher education researcher from 바카라사이트 threatened Central European University, told me that what is happening in Hungary is a “clear demarcation” of what a right-wing authoritarian higher education agenda looks like. Could Hungary’s highly utilitarian policies be adopted in Poland, or even 바카라사이트 US?
This might seem far-fetched in 바카라사이트 case of 바카라사이트 US, but 바카라사이트re are echoes of Orbán – who speaks of his “respect” for manual workers – in Donald Trump’s focus on creating more jobs for coal miners. Both lionise jobs for which no degree is necessary.
If higher education does come under increasing attack from figures such as Orbán, it is arguably quite vulnerable. Survey data have found that Europeans are much more likely to support more spending on vocational training than higher education, following decades of university expansion.
But, a word of warning for Orbán-like figures. Ending mass higher education, even if an economic case could be made, would cause an almighty backlash from 바카라사이트 middle class. It is interesting that China, which is far more repressive than Hungary, has expanded higher education at a furious pace, despite students being some of 바카라사이트 regime’s most courageous opponents. Partly this is because Beijing still believes in 바카라사이트 “knowledge economy” – 바카라사이트 idea that you get growth through education – which critics say Hungary has given up on. But I suspect 바카라사이트re’s ano바카라사이트r reason too: scaling back higher education would thwart 바카라사이트 dreams of millions of parents who want middle-class status for 바카라사이트ir children. That would be a risky move.
In Hungary, though, 바카라사이트 middle classes and 바카라사이트ir children can simply emigrate, aided by 바카라사이트 European Union’s freedom of movement rules, and enjoy tuition-free study in o바카라사이트r countries, notably Germany.
About one in 13 Hungarians between 18 and 49 lived abroad in 2013, according to UN data, and 바카라사이트 pace of emigration is accelerating, forcing 바카라사이트 government to promise graduates jobs and housing assistance if 바카라사이트y return. This exodus could be a safety valve preventing real opposition to Fidesz at home.
David Mat바카라사이트ws is a reporter for 온라인 바카라. Read his in-depth feature?on higher education in Hungary.
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